Red Sox Fill Sneaky Need With Under-The-Radar Addition

The Red Sox made an under-the-radar addition this week, perhaps answering a lingering question in the process.

Boston signed former Seattle Mariners catcher Seby Zavala to a minor league deal, per the MiLB transaction log. It’s certainly not a move that will move the needle on paper but it fills a lingering need with catchers Reese McGuire and Danny Jansen both hitting free agency this offseason.

Zavala is a journeyman, carrying a career .205/.271/.342 slash line across stints with the Mariners, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks. Seattle only deployed him for 18 games in 2024, where he slashed .154/.214/.282 surrounding stints in the minor leagues.

If you’re looking for a reason why someone might be interested in the 31-year-old, it likely lies in his defensive metrics. Zavala finished in the 87th percentile for blocks above average and 77th percentile for framing in 2024 — numbers that would be overall improvements over the likes of Jansen and McGuire.

The Red Sox needed some catching depth, anyway, with Connor Wong being their only major league catcher. Kyle Teel, the club’s top catching prospect, likely won’t be ready to debut by Opening Day after struggling throughout the early portion of his transition to Triple-A Worcester.

Boston likely hopes this move will just be insurance at that level, with another addition behind the dish likely coming this offseason.